I resolved to make no more New Year resolutions. Wonder why? I broke so many of my resolutions of last year. I thought, ‘Why bother to make any more New Year resolutions, you are going to break them anyhow?’

But soon I realized, that we serve a God who is the God of the Second Chance. He is always mindful of the tender straying sheep of His fold. His mercies are new not only every year, but every morning! So, I felt encouraged to forget all that is past and give a fresh start to my life, this New Year!

New calendars, new diaries, new projects and new resolutions herald the New Year! Every January I made a brand new list of resolutions. Most of them were of either omission or commission. On the omission side, my resolutions used to be like this:

The commission resolutions would be like this: From this year on, I shall:
@ Read the entire Bible through.
@ Have an open mind about all the people I meet.
@ Love the most unlovable character I need to put up with.

Well, how did I fare with all these resolutions through the year? Perhaps on an average I could keep about half of what I had intended to do, frankly speaking. But sometimes I forgot a few of my resolutions by midyear and started bowing to the tyranny of the present or the immediate concerns. I have so decided to crystallize the list of resolutions, write them up in my diary and share them with my wife and loved ones in the Lord so that I can become accountable, not only to the Lord, but also to others, my brothers and sisters around me. What about you?

Another new year, 2004 dawns on us all. I am so very happy that the good Lord has given us all another opportunity, to make a fresh start in our lives. Praise be unto His Name indeed!

I have resolved to become more systematic in writing, from now on. After taking on a couple of writing courses and meeting and interacting with quite a few successful writers, I have come to this conclusion. There is no substitute to the hard work of committed writing. Unless I decide to write every day or every week regularly, whether I ‘feel like it’ or not, I cannot become a writer. With that end, I decided to write at least a small article every week. And lo and behold, I found that I could do that regularly by participating in the Writers challenge of the Faithwriters.com!

We as Christian believers need to live as though Christ died yesterday, rose today and is coming back tomorrow. Just as we take up fresh new sheets of paper to write (or should I say a blank Word document?), we need to take this New Year 2004 as a precious gift of our Lord. He is giving you and me a fresh start. Blessed be His Name! Moses says in Psalm 90 verse 12: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”

Yes, the Lord is giving each one of us a new opportunity to mend our ways. A chance to make fresh and clear objectives for ourselves. May be for most of us, the year appears formidable (What with an added day: Feb 29th). But let us say with Paul: I can do everything with Christ who gives me strength” Let us remember that it is in Him, our Lord, that we live, move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)
Let us then give a fresh start to our 2004 by praying:
“Lord Our God, Oh Ancient of Days! We praise your Name for blessing all of us with a New Year. We place all our New Year resolutions before you. Both those of omission and commission. We even place a few of those, which are unwritten and deep down in our hearts. Help us Lord to keep all of them and thus extend your Kingdom concerns through this earth!”